1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an opposed path joint that has a drive side and a power take-off side, having an inner hub, an outer hub, and a ring-shaped cage having a spherical outer surface, which cage is arranged between the inner hub and the outer hub and has several radial openings, in which balls are guided. The inner hub has an inner hub axis and an outer surface, in which first inner grooves and second inner grooves are arranged, alternately distributed about the inner hub axis. In this connection, the first inner grooves run from the drive-side end, proceeding in the direction towards the power-take-off-side end, whereby their track base moves away from the inner hub axis. The second inner grooves run from the power-take-off-side end, proceeding in the direction towards the drive-side end, whereby their track base moves away from the inner hub axis. The outer hub has an outer hub axis and an inner surface in which first outer grooves and second outer grooves are arranged, alternately distributed about the outer hub axis. In this connection, the first inner grooves lie opposite first outer grooves, and the second inner grooves lie opposite second outer grooves, and form a pair with them, in each instance. The first outer grooves run from the drive-side end, proceeding in the direction towards the power-take-off-side end, whereby their track base comes closer to the outer hub axis. The second outer grooves run from the power-take-off-side end, proceeding in the direction towards the drive-side end, whereby their track base comes closer to the outer hub axis.
2. The Prior Art
Such joints are used, among other things, in longitudinal shafts or lateral shafts or in steering shafts of motor vehicles. A same path joint is known from DE 199 05 451 C2, the outer hub of which is produced from a flat sheet-metal part, which is bent to form an open ring or ring segments after the outer grooves have been formed in it, and which is held in a closed ring-shaped accommodation part during operation. By means of the formation of the outer grooves in the sheet-metal part, cavities are formed between the latter and the accommodation part. In certain load cases, depending on the elasticity of the sheet-metal parts, deformations in the outer hub can occur, which exceed the permissible tolerances. In addition, in this known same path joint, the balls must be inserted individually into the cage and the pairs of grooves. This assembly step, which is performed manually, is time-consuming.